Eternal Wind
by Wolfsalvo
Summary: Believed to be stranded in a strange world, an insertion force is sent to Fragaria in hopes of rescuing one of the Special Forces best man. Many challenges will be faced, strange events will take place, and unfortunately for the rescuers, Eric couldn't be happier where he is.
1. New Arrivals

**Chapter 1: New Arrivals**

The sun shone gently as a new day greeted the world of Medius. Peeking through the treetops, the light gently landed upon the two demons cuddled together in their sleep, both of them smiling contently. The first one, a male fire demon, had midnight black fur with several silver strips of fur running along his back and arms. His head was canine in appearance complete with pointed wolf-like ears on top of his head, giving him the appearance of an anthropomorphic dog/wolf. In addition to this, his only article of clothing he had on was a pair of ragged looking shorts, which added with his toned muscular build gave him an almost savage appearance. The second demon, a female wind demon, looked quite different from her companion. While her companion had a rather muscular build, she had a more slender build. Her fur was an inverse of his, with her fur being predominately white with a few black strips running along her back, arms, and legs. Her hair was long (reaching shoulder length on her rather elongated neck) and black in color, same as the feathers on her wings. She was dressed in a worn red robe-like dress that was slightly torn around the edges and had an odd stitch design on the front. As the light hit them, the fire demon stirred from his sleep. Groaning slightly in annoyance, he let out a tired yawn as he woke up, revealing a pair of deep blue eyes. His expression was that of annoyance at first, but it quickly changed to a gentle smile as he saw the wind demon in his arms. His awakening must have disturbed her as she too quickly stirred from her sleep.

"Mornin', beautiful," he smiled as she opened her eyes, also revealing a pair of deep blue eyes.

She giggled a bit when she heard that, enjoying the sound of his voice and the feel of being in his arms, even if she was larger than he was. "Good morning, Eric," she smiled lovingly to her mate.

* * *

**(Eric's P.O.V.)**

I smiled again, before giving Sakido a kiss on her forehead. At times like this it was hard to believe that it had only been a couple of months since we first met. My name is Eric Elexion, a Special Ops soldier from Earth. Currently I'm trapped in this world known as Medius, and I've never been happier. Now, how did I end up on this world? It started about two months ago. At the time I had been a special ops soldier assigned on a mission to assassinate a rebel leader in Russia to stop a rebellion before it could really cause any problems. All in all, I thought it would have been another mission that I would simply complete then either go home in one piece or not come home at all. Of course, never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to somehow get pulled into a completely different world. Sure it took me long enough to figure out that I wasn't on my own world anymore, but for all its worth, it was one of the best things that happened to me, second to meeting the love of my life. Thinking about it again, I couldn't help but chuckle at how different things were back then.

"Is something wrong, Eric?" Sakido asked, hearing my chuckle.

"No, nothing's wrong, Sakido. Just remembering the first time we met, and considering how we were back then, it's hard to believe where we are now," I explained, earning an understanding nod from her.

"That's true. Back then if anyone had told me I was going to fall in love with a human, I'd have thought them crazy...provided I didn't kill them on the spot for even considering the idea," Sakido chuckled in agreement.

Lying back against the ground, I looked up at the clear blue sky as I remembered our journey through this world. If this was like one of those fictional stories, this is usually the part where the protagonists tries to find a way home, but honestly…I'm not sure I even WANT to go back. After everything we've been through together, from becoming Soul Partners, to travelling Medius, fighting together, falling in love, and even somehow gaining the ability to turn into a demon. Everything I've been through here on Medius, I always had Sakido by my side, and now…I couldn't even imagine life without her, which was ironically quite fitting since being Soul Partners, we literally couldn't live without each other. With that thought, I decided not to think about Earth. Medius may not have been where I was born, but home is where the heart is, and my heart is where Sakido is. Even so, I couldn't help but wonder what's going on back on Earth since I ended up on Medius. I'd probably be listed as MIA, if not KIA. Fortunately it wouldn't be too bad, since I'm an only child and my parents passed away a while ago, and amongst the other soldiers in the army I wasn't really the type to make lots of friends, so I wouldn't be missed too badly if I was labeled KIA. Whatever the case, I was happy just being with Sakido, and that was all I wanted right now. With that thought, I wrapped my arms around my…wife? Mate? Heh, it didn't matter. All I knew was that we loved each other with all our hearts and that was enough for us.

* * *

**Russia, Our World**

The camp was bustling as various members of the military worked in tandem in preparation for what may just be a mission that could change the world as they knew it. It had started two months ago, when they had sent one of their best men, Eric Elexion, on an assassination mission. Normally they wouldn't have sent a single soldier by himself, but Eric was easily their best operative with a high success rate record, especially in solo missions. However, Elexion suddenly dropped out of contact during the mission. At first, they had thought that he had likely been KIA, but since they had yet to confirm it, he was listed as MIA at first. Not long after that, reports on the Rebels suddenly stopped, prompting an investigation. What they found was that the Rebel camp was completely deserted and for the next month, no reports of the Rebellion appeared, prompting further investigation of the abandoned camp.

What was found after nearly a month's worth of research was immediately classified as 'Top Secret'. An energy anomaly had appeared in the area, and after researching it, the scientists found that it wasn't just any energy anomaly; it was a portal, and a portal to another world at that. From there, it was easy to theorize that the disappearance of both Eric Elexion and the Rebels were caused by the portal. However, it was also discovered that the portal was unstable, and was estimated that it would only remain open for about another month at best. Because of that, despite the protests of the scientists who wanted to learn what was on the other side of the portal (stating that at the same time they could retrieve Eric), General Hansen, their commanding officer, had initially intended to just make sure nothing else went in or out, not willing to risk his men on the slight chance that Eric somehow managed to survive. General Hansen knew Eric was a survivor from all the solo missions that he had managed to pull off, but even that had its limits. Not to mention the scientists only knew that something was on the other side of the portal, but for all they knew, the world on the other side might have been some hostile world ready to kill the first living creature that wandered in. It was only a last minute plea from one of his top soldiers, Jonathan Drayer, a good friend of Eric Elexion, and often time partner on missions. In the end, Hansen decided to give him a chance, allowing him to form a team of volunteers for the mission. The results gained him nineteen soldiers including himself, and five scientists, making a total of twenty four people volunteering for the scouting mission.

"Alright men, we will begin briefing you on your mission one more time immediately," General Hansen stated to the assembled team, all of them were standing next to the two BTRs and the two Humvees that had been prepared for the mission. "Due to the nature of this mission, we will not be able to guarantee protocol for the situation. As such, I will keep this brief. You have four main objectives. First, you need to set up communications on the other side and report any and all findings. Second, you are to explore the world, but remain within a certain range of the portal, as you must be ready to leave ASAP. Third, you are to confirm the situation of the Rebels, and if you find any you are to eliminate them immediately. Fourth, if possible, retrieve Eric Elexion, assuming he has not been KIA. That is all," he finished. "Any questions?"

"Sir! No sir!" they responded with salutes, earning a nod from the General.

"Good! Now I wish you all the best. May you return safely from this mission," he stated as the men quickly got into the BTRs, each carrying ten men each, and the Humvees, each carry two men each. As the machines started up, the workers scrambled to clear a path, leaving a clear shot into the portal, complete with a ramp that was set up to allow for a clean entrance. With the path clear and the teams having checked their equipment, the two BTRs and two Humvees started up, before rushing down the path, up the ramp, and right into the portal, before disappearing in a flash of light each…

* * *

**-Medius-**

**(Eric's P.O.V.)**

My head suddenly snapped towards the west for a reason that I didn't know.

"Is something wrong, Eric?" Sakido asked as we walked through the streets. Ever since we defeated the Rebels a few days ago, we had been searching for a town, which wasn't easy as all the nearby towns had been abandoned thanks to the Rebels. The reason for our search was to ask for the location of a place called 'St. Curtis', as that was where we would find Sakido's little brother (I still have no idea how they're related), Buwaro, as Sakido had promised him that she would find him. So with that in mind, we had finally found a town that was inhabited. Quickly shifting back to my human form, and hastily putting on a fresh pair of clothes (pillaged from one of the abandoned villages we found) to avoid looking like some kind of tribesman and maintaining the convenient ruse of Sakido only being in a costume as we walked through the town.

"Nothing. I don't know why, but I…felt something strange. Don't worry, it's probably nothing," I reassured, earning a nod from her as we quickly purchased supplies, and more importantly, a compass and map. "Huh, looks like we've gotta retrace our steps. Makes sense, since the Sinclairs WERE already headed for St. Curtis, and they were headed in the opposite direction as us," I mused.

"Well then, we'd better start moving if we want to get there before they move on," Sakido smiled as we hefted a pair of bags full of supplies we had bought. Thankfully money wasn't really an issue since there were Trouble Centers in a lot of towns, this one included, and compared to what we had to deal with recently, a few odd jobs would be easy.

So, with that we soon left the town with our supplies ready and a destination in mind. Changing my clothes back to the ragged pair of shorts (to avoid destroying the fresh pair of clothes when I transform) and shifting back to my Demon form (I was honestly starting to enjoy being in my Demon form rather than my human form, something that probably should have worried me more), we looked through the map one more time, and checking to compass once more to make sure we were going the right way, set out for our destination. Despite that, I still had the nagging feeling that something big was about to happen…

* * *

**(Jonathans P.O.V.)**

I groaned slightly as my vision came back into focus, and I saw the rest of my team also waking up from the rough landing. My name is Jonathan Drayer, a Special Ops soldier. Our special team, consisting of twenty four members had volunteered to explore the world on the other side of the portal that we had found. The entrance was easy enough, but the actual passage? To say the least, it was rough as Hell, and now I know how Popcorn must feel like while its popping in the bag…no, scratch that, we had it worse, since we were shaken about in a METAL vehicle. Quickly exiting our BTR, we noticed that the rest of the team in the other BTR, as well as the two Humvees, had also exited their vehicle, all of them looking a little sick... and bruised for that matter.

"Is everyone alright? Say 'aye' if you're in no condition to walk," I said. Fortunately, there was only one 'aye', which came from one of the scientist in the other BTR, who had been jostled in an uncomfortable position, earning him a sprained ankle. Nothing too serious and ultimately not a problem, since he was one of the scientists who had agreed to stay at base camp, which was supposed to be within range of the portal. With that in mind, we quickly split up, with five men searching for a secluded spot to set up base camp, sixteen men standing guard of the BTRs, and the remaining three men, myself included, scouting the area to check for hostiles, so readying our weapons, we set out in this mysterious new world_. I'll find you Eric. You'd do this for me anytime, and I do this for you anytime, buddy_. Were my thoughts as we trekked through the woodlands and through the light layer of snow.

**A.N.: I would like to thank Timeless Dreamer Neo for this chapter, as only my concept came into play. I couldn't get this chapter off, so in reality, this is all his work... lol.**

**Disclaimer: All ownership of Slightly Damned belongs to Chu, and her only... I know she _doesn't_ accept any help.**


	2. Foothold

**Chapter 2: Foothold**

**(Eric's P.O.V.)**

Setting the last items on the countertop and grabbing my bag of coins, I looked towards the shop keeper who in turn gaped at all the items I had placed in front of him. I knew it was more than the average shopper bought, but me and Sakido didn't have average needs and haven't been through the average person's ordeals.

With a glance up, the weathered man seemed to study me, before he said, "This is worth seventy coins, you sure you can pay for all this?"

"I wouldn't have grabbed what I can't pay for."

The man looked back down at the assorted materials, and I grabbed my money bag and quickly counted out seventy coins. I felt a bit of joy for multiple reasons. One, Sakido apparently got something she wanted, and secondly, I myself was relieved that I could finally travel a bit more comfortably with my love. We may be experts on what we do and how to survive with very little to nothing, but it was still a struggle for me to do so after all that has happened. It got easier as time went, but I still found myself occasionally reminiscing on the easy days where I was back in the states.

Shaking my head lightly, I couldn't help but grin as I heard a giggle over my mental link, _"Hurry up Eric, I got something for you!"_

Handing the shop keeper the money, he nodded his head, before he asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you sir?"

"Yes, I need to get to St. Curtis, but I don't know the way. Do you by chance know directions?" Yet, just as I had expected, he shook his head, before I nodded with a slight frown, before I asked, "The next question I have is, where would one go to perhaps buy a sword? Or perhaps even something like a crossbow or similar?"

"Son... what are you getting yourself into?"

Smirking a bit, I merely started to pack both sets of backpacks as I looked into the shop keeper's eyes and began, "I'm sure you heard rumors that demons roam these lands, performing heinous acts against medians and being generally evil. And I am certain it is safe to assume refuges have been coming into surrounding towns with tales impossible to believe." Looking down as the large roll of bandages refused to fit into the bag how I wanted, I saw I had to twist it a bit before it would fit perfectly. Shifting my gaze back up to see that the shop owners was pale, I continued, "Well, as I was saying, tales that may be impossible to believe may have reached your ears by now, and I know better than anyone else that the wilderness is a dangerous place. I however, know that it isn't being caused by demons... so for now, I'm simply better preparing myself."

Hefting the two backpacks onto my shoulders, I was careful about my sniper on my back, before turning around and making my way towards the door. "Have a good day sir, and remember, the wilderness isn't dangerous because of demons."

Chuckling as I left the shop, I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help but mess with the occasional person. I know it wasn't as dangerous now that the rebels were all dead, but paranoia kept me always wanting to be better prepared.

Further down the street I saw Sakido walking towards me with a happy smile and a twinkle in her eyes. She held something in her hands as she spoke to me mentally, _"What did you get Eric?"_

_Heh... stuff that will make our travelling easier._

* * *

**(Jonathon's P.O.V.)**

As I raised my hand and pushed a branch out of my way, I kept my other hand holding my gun with my finger still on the trigger. The two soldiers flanking me watched my back and our surroundings as we continued to walk around the inside of the forest to make sure nothing would provide a threat, along with placing the occasional motion sensor on the snow covered ground. We wouldn't be here for long, but it would be essential to be prepared rather than with our pants down while we were at camp.

We have been walking for thirty minutes now, and as we were now making our way towards the edge of the forest, I made sure to keep a sharp ear out for anything that would alert us to danger or perhaps even Eric if he was still in the area; though that was merely hope when I knew he would've moved on by now. Two months have passed since his mission, and if he was alive, he certainly wouldn't have remained in one area for long.

"Sir, unknown helo ten meters from tree line." Quickly looking to my side as I brought the barrel of my rifle to bear, I saw that indeed through the tree line appeared to be a Russian made attack helicopter, albeit buried in snow. Everything from the canopy and up was visible, but it almost appeared abandoned. _Something that looks like a trap is almost always a trap..._

Remembering the training from the drill instructors during War Game training, I made sure to look around the surroundings as I said just as quietly as the other soldier that spoke, "Roger. Keep an eye on the surroundings as we move in. We will stick out like sore thumbs. If we come under fire, hit the deck and fire in bursts." Two acknowledgments later, we slowly began to creep towards the buried helo...

**-Back at Camp-**

The two BTR's stood at opposite sides of the small makeshift camp at forty-five degree angles of each other that would provide as much protection to the small task force as possible. The two Humvees however sat further off to the sides near the rear of the camp in case anything came from the far tree line, also at forty-five degree angles to each other. The majority of the soldiers were milling about the perimeter to make sure they were safe as those inside the camp were quickly setting up communication equipment, survey equipment, and a radar station for any hostile air. This was an unknown world with unknown variables and unknown inhabitants with an unknown technological level. To be underprepared could and would most likely hold unwanted consequences.

Scientists were busy getting equipment up and running while a few allocated soldiers were helping with the heavier lifting; such as raising the high powered lights from the tops of the BTR's, moving heavy equipment from the back of the Humvee's and to where the scientists wanted, and keeping busy in general. The top priority that concerned the scientists was establishing contact with the main force on the other side of the portal, and with this need at the forefront of half the scientists minds, they were working on powering up communication gear built for long range communications as neither the BTR's or Humvee's radios could reach the other side; only each other.

The soldiers walking the perimeter were on alert as the briefing was still fresh in mind, and despite the curiosity many of them felt to explore, all of them knew that orders were orders. To go simply explore would be begging danger to rear its hideous head, and it would be careless for even a single troop to go off by himself as the unknown dangers that represented the entire area wouldn't only endanger himself, but weaken the base camps overall integrity.

High above, the sun was starting its downward descent towards darkness, and the first discovery that the scientists would make would be an astonishing one at that. Surveillance gear was already set up along key positions of the camp that wouldn't only record anything that would come from the surrounding forests, but also record any strange sights that should occur when nobody else was around to view it themselves.

**(Jonathon's P.O.V.)**

Now that it was confirmed that the entire area surrounding the downed helo was empty of life and any possible threats, I had the two men with me stationed on each side of the cockpit so that they could cover me as I began to wipe at the glass. Snow and small droplets of ice fell away to reveal the inside of the glass was just as frosted as the outside, and that was a problem as I wanted to know what was inside.

Reaching down and picking my rifle up from where it was resting on my chest, I brought it above my head, and brought the butt down on the glass canopy. Glass that was normally resilient to small arms fire shattered from the butt of my assault rifles butt due to it having sat outside in frigid temperatures for obviously a long time. The sound of shattering glass rang out and echoed back to me from the tree line, and I shifted my attention around just to make sure none of the local wildlife took too much notice.

When no animals or people emerged, I went back to uncovering the cockpit, and once I was done; my gut clenched tightly. All around the cockpit were red crystalline shards, and I knew what they were as I store at the preserved face of a deceased man. His uniform wasn't Russian, so it was safe to assume this was one of the rebel pilots that had defected from the Russian military.

His cause of death was obvious, and it showed how painful it must've been, and then to have frozen to death. A metal supporting pole must've come loose during his crash, and it had penetrated his back and was now protruding from his stomach at a thirty-five degree angle. I didn't need to be an expert, even though I already was, to know that alone prevented him from escaping as it held him down. If any of his allies had come by to try and save him, a fact I knew was false as his body was still here, he would've died from blood loss before they could severe the pole and patch him up.

Looking past him, I saw four other rebels had apparently died from similar causes, except instead of impalement, heavy cargo had flown around and killed them. One had a nasty gash over the side of his frozen head, another was leaning forward, and all I could see of the third was his legs sticking out from underneath a massive crate. What interested me though was the inscription on the crate. It was in Russian, but from my vantage point and my understanding of the language, I could clearly read the label of '_Plastic Explosives_' along what must've been the top.

_Those may come in use... we will need to come back later for that though. _Jumping down from the cockpit and into the soft snow, I looked around as I brought my rifle up and scanned around, before I spoke with a volume I sure wouldn't pass my men, "We are returning to camp, but when we reach camp, I want you both to prep a Humvee with welding cutting equipment."

"Yes sir." Came both replies, and with a final glance at our surroundings, we were making our way back towards the trees. This time however I had us walk a route along the edge of the tree line to better assess the route that I planned to take the Humvee...

**-Base Camp-**

"Strange..." A scientist leaning over a computer muttered as he continued to go over all the data he was receiving from the sensors set up around the camp. Further off to the side of where he sat, a soldier sealed his canteen after a minor sip and looked over at the scientist with a weary look.

"Find something interesting sir?"

Without looking away from his computer, the scientist started to tap away at the keyboard as he spoke, "We have a powerful signal that should be able to penetrate the portals interference and give us an easy communication with those on the other side, but there is an ambient energy reading throughout the land that is acting as an interference as well..."

The soldier cocked an eyebrow, before shaking his head and resumed staring off into the distance between the vehicles in search of an enemy or possibly something of interest that he would be able to fully understand. As he did though, something caught his eye that made him grip his rifle a bit tighter, yet before he was fully in defensive mode, he made it out as the three man reconnaissance party that was led by Jonathon himself.

Getting to his feet, the soldier was about to leave and go greet his comrades, until the scientist quickly interrupted his plans to return to those that spoke true English. "No no, I need you to stay. I'm going to run a few tests that will require a soldiers touch..."

With a silent and annoyed sigh, the soldier sat back down as he said half-heartedly, "Yes sir." To himself though, he cursed his luck that he was one of the few that was a low enough rank to have to obey orders from the scientists that seemed to somehow outrank his Petty officer rank...

...

**(Jonathon's P.O.V.)**

Leaning over the paper that I had a trooper place on the table, I quickly drew basic scratch outlines as I debriefed the three squad leaders, "There is a downed and abandoned Russian attack helicopter here, and if the box that I had seen inside was correct, then there is possibly C4 inside the cargo area. Tomorrow I will be taking three men with me to receive the cargo, as it may prove to be in our benefit to collect those munitions for later on in the mission. Even if we don't use them, it would be better than risk the rebels coming back and possibly regaining that asset." Sliding the pencil over the paper and through a rough route where the Humvee would be going, I then switched my attention back to the base camp and gestured towards the forest, "I need five men from any of your squads to escort three scientists around the forest as they run tests. Keep alert and on the lookout for anything of interest."

"Permission to speak sir?" Looking up at the squad leader that spoke, I set the pencil down as I nodded towards him, and he continued, "Protocols for any inhabitants we may run into during the patrol route sir? Should we remain a detached position, attempt to make contact, or anything else of the sort?"

Looking towards the others, I saw all them looking towards me with that question in their eyes, before I said, "Protocols are worthless here soldier, there are too many variables that can affect a first contact, and that is if the rebels haven't ruined that for us yet. Still, if you run into any locals, observe, but don't attempt to make contact unless they approach with obvious intent. If they seem hostile, warnings shots, if that doesn't dissuade them, I will leave the call up to you to either withdraw or hold your ground; but remember to make a choice that won't have ill effects on your men or our overall operation here. We don't know what the locals are capable of, and we have no idea if they are human or otherwise different, but treat everything you and your men see with caution. We don't want to start a fight we can't handle."

They all nodded, and I looked around them to make sure that there were no further questions or concerns. When I was certain there was no more, I stood up and looked off into the distance, before looking back down at the map and doing some rough calculations, before speaking again, "The head scientist has informed me that we have full radio communications, but that is only between us, not back on the other side. So while you are out, have radios ready and on. Exercise dark comm's unless something of urgent importance or interest is to be found. Am I clear?"

Nods were my answer, and they all nodded. Nodding myself as I scratched a chart at the top corner of the paper that I had purposely left blank, I left the pencil on the paper as I said, "I know we don't exactly have proper commendations, but sleep rotations will be in effect until we know there is nothing we need to worry about for our safeties. A fire watch of six men will be in place for every six hours for two shifts. One man in a Humvee turret at all times with four walking the perimeter. The rest of the men will need to sleep in the BTR's or somewhere comfortable, but within the camp. I myself will be awake for first watch along with the original six men." Standing up fully, I nodded to the men, before I finished with a crisp, "That is all for now. I will be compiling a report to send back to command, so don't disturb me unless it is necessary."

The all nodded, before they looked amongst themselves. Before they began to talk about the arrangements I had left for them to figure out, I turned and made my way towards one of the scientists so that I could get a few more of my questions answered. As I walked though, the work lights snapped on, bathing the entire area in powerful light and I looked towards the forest on sheer instinct and froze. I couldn't make out what it was, but something with large orange eyes seemed to be staring back at me from the forest tree line, before it quickly disappeared. Turning around and quickly making my way back to the squad leaders.

Stopping at the table, I was instantly given their full attentions as I grabbed my rifle from where I had left it, before I said sternly, "Finishing that list should be quick. Up the count of men to eight... I'm going to go do some quick... reconnaissance."

"Jonathon, one of the motion sensors registers movement in the tree line."

Looking over at a scientist that was standing behind me with a worried look as he wrung his hands together, I nodded towards him as I said, "I know... it's probably just an animal, but I'm going to go check it out right now."

"Sir, do you want me to go with you?" I didn't bother to look at the squad leader as I started to walk away, but I did call back, "Negative, I will be fine..."


	3. Scouting & Retracing

**Chapter 3: Scouting & Retracing**

_...unless one values the lives of his soldiers and is tormented by their ordeal he is unfit to command._

_~Omar Nelson Bradley_

**(Jonathon's P.O.V.)**

Raising my rifle as I slunk into the tree line where I had seen the pair of glowing orange eyes, I made sure to be on high alert for even the briefest of sounds that would alert me to the intruder. My rifle was equipped with neither flash light or laser light, and while that may have been useful in a time like this, the dual moons providing enough light that I could easily see without giving away my position. Each fall of my foot was accompanied by a near silent crunch as my boot connected with the ground. It was as silent as could be, but it was as silent as I could go while maintaining a decent pace.

Stopping once I felt I was in the forest enough, I kneeled down as I kept my rifle level with the bushes opposite of my position. Setting the butt of my rifle on my knee, I took my hand away from the stock and reached to my chest slow and deliberately. Once my hand touched my vest, I opened up a breast pocket and fished out my work light from within.

Clicking it on as soon as it was out of the pocket and directing the beam of light around me, I was met with densely packed trees and thick shrubs. Turning my gaze and the light downwards, I saw tracks that slightly resembled that of a wolf's, yet the paw marking seemed oddly wide when compared to the wolves I knew of...

They looked larger overall.

_Impossible. A wolf would need to be the size of a small car to have footprints as large as these. I don't and can't believe a wolf getting to this size... my men wouldn't be safe if they ran into a pack of wolves of this size._

Raising my flashlight further towards the forest ahead of me, I saw the tracks leading away from this area, yet, something peculiar was actually showing instead. It was almost like looking at tracks made by a human, yet with wolf prints instead. The typical animal had a gait where the sets of tracks made by front and back paws alternated according to speed, yet this animals prints were... human to say the least. It looked like only one pair of feet belonged to this animal, and they alternated exactly how a human's would.

Setting my rifle down but at a ready position, I alternated which hand was holding the flashlight and lowered the other hand down to the track. Touching the rim of the print and pressing down lightly to gauge the weight the animal had exerted on the ground, I found that the ground wasn't as compressed as I would've expected, yet there was still the feeling of unease as I couldn't even fathom what the creature that made these marks looked like.

Pulling my hand away and flashing the light around the forest on more time, I saw not a thing moving aside from the leaves from the wind. Cursing to myself, I knew this mystery was going to be a pain in my ass, yet it would give me and the scientists something to think about. _I will tell the squad leaders of my findings, but this will need to be solely on us. The scientists are soft, and I can't have any of them getting injured or possibly frightened while we are out here, if anything; that will make them into even more of a liability if they are running in circles scared of shadows. I will tell them the basics, but nothing to cause alarm._

Clicking the light off and quickly stuffing it back into my pocket, I picked up my rifle and slowly turned around, scanning every inch of forest as I made my way back to base camp. Tonight was going to be a long first night, and I planned on upholding my end of the work by staying up late. These grunts may know how to patrol, but I wanted to be alert in case whatever creature was just here decided to come back early in the morning.

_Besides, it will do good for morale if the commanding officer is patrolling the perimeter with his fellow soldiers instead of sleeping it away. A commander that sticks himself in the same danger as his men is respected more than a man hiding behind those that take the risks..._

Exiting the forest a few minutes after finding the prints, I scanned the area around me and the forest, before making my way towards the waiting camp. The flood-lights were on and illuminated the area with an intensity only rivaled to by the day, and that would do good for maintaining visual on anything that dared to approach, along with keeping the men and myself that were on patrol awake and alert.

_Day one, twelve hours... we have two weeks at best, and we haven't even begun searching. After collecting those explosives, I shouldn't... but I will requisition a Humvee for a bit of distance related reconnaissance. I doubt anything will go wrong, but I might as well take a scientist and two other men. Traveling in pairs is better than anything else, and it would be best that if we do find something, might as well have the scientist and a man guard the Humvee while the other trooper and I look around._

I was still twenty or so feet from the closest vehicle, and as I approached, I noticed the two men at this corner of the camp were talking idly near the BTR, but they occasionally looked around. I wasn't one for popularity and letting my men be lax in their duties, yet these were volunteers, and they were keeping an eye on the surroundings how they were instructed.

"Good evening sir."

"Same to yourself soldier." I nodded towards the two men as I passed, and while I made my way into camp. As soon as I passed the BTR and into camp, the amount of light dropped considerably, but it was still bright enough to see all the men that were still awake were polishing their weapons and cleaning their gear, or were getting ready to bunk down. These weren't ideal conditions to sleep in, but this was field work, and another day in the service was another day of paradise.

Chuckling a bit as I continued to walk, I was instantly alert to the man walking beside before he even asked, "What's so funny sir?"

Looking over, I noticed it was one of the squad leaders, and I had enough courtesy to let him in on some humor as well. "Just thinking about all the benefits of joining the military and all the joys it comes with." Smirking a bit wider, I tapped my helmet, "I got a roof over my head for one, but when you think about it, it comes with excitement, good friends, and hell, you always get to travel."

This got a smirk from the squad leader, before he let out a brief affirmative, before his smile dropped and he asked in a bit more of a serious tone, "Did you find what tripped the sensor sir?"

I shook my head as we stopped walking, and I set my rifle on the table as I said, "Negative. I did come across some tracks that looked eerily similar to wolves, yet the tracks were similar to that made by a biped. Not like that of a quadruped..." The man looked a bit confused, but I simply shook my head lightly, "I don't know what it was, but it isn't a threat as of yet, so we will treat it as such. Keep an eye out for something that may make wolf like tracks, and/or has orange eyes, but keep it in mind, not as your main focus. I don't want any of the men to panic, as it can probably just be some new strange species, but I want them alert."

He nodded before he turned to walk away, and as soon as I was alone I sat down in a chair, pulled a nearby notebook and pen up to me. _Since standard communications won't work, I guess I really will need to revert to message in a bottle. A strong throw, accurate aiming, and hopefully someone watching on the other side, and then we will have a form of communication. Albeit a bit old style..._

* * *

**(Eric's P.O.V.)**

Smirking a bit as I leaned over Sakido, I heard her practically purr my name as I gently caressed her body, applying pressure to her back and along her wings to sooth out the tense muscles. My hands were those of demons, so I could cover more area than if I was in my natural form. Sakido always seemed to enjoy it when I was in my alternate form as well.

Lifting my hands up and placing them on her shoulders, I applied a bit of pressure while rolling my hands and grip downwards, but I only moved outwards away from her neck. Sakido was practically putty in my hands, and I knew all too well why as I was fully aware of what it felt like.

_"Eric, you're going to put me asleep if you keep doing that..."_

The best part was, I couldn't hear any conviction in her voice for me to stop. Smirking a bit as I stopped rubbing her shoulders to lean down over her, I made sure not to apply to much weight to her body as I rubbed my cheek along her ear as I said softly, "I plan on it." As I pulled away, I smiled warmly as I planted a kiss on the back of her ear, causing it to twitch and her to giggle happily.

Once I was working on her shoulders again, she sighed softly, before she spoke through our mental link, _"I love you so much Eric..."_

I froze momentarily, but I soon resumed my work with an even wider smile as I felt my heart swell. I already knew she loved me undyingly, but she rarely expressed it with words; yet every time she did I felt like nothing else in the world mattered anymore.

Closing my eyes as I tried to show as much affection through our mental link as possible, I let out a happy breath before I spoke through my mind to my love, _I love you too Sakido, more than I will ever be able to express. I know we wouldn't have had to deal with so much stress if we hadn't dealt with those rebels, but I feel so comfortable... so content that I don't have to worry about what's a threat anymore. I got you, and even though I know you can take care of yourself, I will do all I can to make sure your safe and comfortable. You deserve nothing less with what you have been forced to endure._

Sakido's reaction was to immediately roll over and pull me down into a passionate kiss. I felt her pull me down until I was pressing against her, and it was at that point that I closed my eyes and enjoyed the kiss all the more as I brought my hands around and pulled her closer.

The kiss itself was one of passion, yet as soon as she stated to pull away, I opened my eyes and felt worry instantly ice its way into my heart as I saw tears brimming all along the edge of her eyes. I felt a few tears of my own beginning to form, but before I could even inquire what was wrong, she pulled me closer and nuzzled against my face. I did my best to comfort her as I heard her sniffle, before she said quietly, "Just keep being you E-Eric... and I will be the happiest demon alive in all of Fragaria..."

**...**

**(Jonathon's P.O.V.)**

The gentle bumps of the ground weren't too bad as we made our way through the forest. After I had thrown the bottle through the portal, I waited a bit and had gotten clearance to begin searching about thirty minutes later. I still couldn't help the occasional chuckle here and there as I remembered the bottle coming back through the portal. I didn't know what to expect, but I hadn't expected the General to quite literally throw a message in a bottle back to me.

"Damn!" I cursed as my helmet slammed into the top of the Humvee's interior when we went over a particularly large bump. Looking up, I saw we were entering a wide open area devoid of trees, yet there was a strange looking statue in the distance.

"Are you alright sir?"

"Yeah. You see that statue?"

The driver chuckled, before he said, "Want us to go investigate that sir?"

I glanced over and saw the driver looking intently towards it, before I gave him the order to head that way. Looking towards the now rapidly approaching statue, I tapped the gunner on the leg and called up, "Look alive trooper, where there is construction there is civilization. Where there is civilization there is possible hostiles."

Instead of a verbal reply I heard the bolt to the fifty Cal clack a bit, before the distinct sound of a round entering the chamber rang out. The men inside the Humvee did the same things with their weapons as well, which I was glad for. I glanced over my shoulder and made sure the scientist was exercising weapons safety, and I nodded in satisfaction when I saw his pistol was aiming at anywhere that it could cause harm. Looking back forward, I didn't need to worry about my own weapon as it had been prepped this morning when I had done patrols around the downed helo.

"Pull over here." As soon as the words left my mouth, the driver brought the Humvee to a stop several yards from the statue, and I looked at those in the Humvee and said, "Corporal, you stay here and help protect the Humvee. Sanders, you're with me... I know you're going to want to study this statue."

We all disembarked, yet the scientist and I were the only ones to approach the statue. My outward appearance may have seemed relaxed, but I carefully measured each step while eying the surrounding forest; for all I knew this statue could hold some religious importance to the locals. _Eric, I wish you were here... you make all these dangerous assignments seem easy..._

Walking around to the front of the statue, I had to stop and actually look at the huge gems that acted as eyes, along with the gems that stuck out of what seemed to be wings. Letting out a breath, I found myself actually marveling at this strange structure, and the more I looked at it, the stranger it looked. Its appearance was one of a bat, but there was a strange marking over its front. "Outstanding..."

Looking over at the scientist and seeing that his jaw was open, he shook his head as he turned to look at me, "This find truly is outstanding. Aside from the gems, you can see the detail that was put into this and that detail required tools. Whomever... or whatever made this statue, possess knowledge on basic tool making and use."

"Alright Sanders, gather as much info on the over-glorified rock as you can then. We will move out to find this village afterwards since they must have that at least..."

It was then that I took to scanning the forest for any open spaces that might suggest a trail or path. I didn't see one, but I knew that every civilization that ever existed back on our planet wouldn't leave something valuable like this forgotten, and I doubted those of another world would do so.

...

**(Eric's P.O.V.)**

Sakido let out an impatient growl as we reached a sign that had two arrows pointing in two opposite directions, the sides of the arrows having been destroyed to a point where the names were unreadable.

_It is a shame that some idiots just had to go and do this for no damn reason..._

Sakido huffed in agreement, and I reached over and gently intertwined my fingers within her own, and as her larger frame leaned into my smaller one, I said softly, "I know you wish to meet up with Buwaro Sakido, but maybe we should backtrack more than we had originally planned. I remember the general direction of Riverside, and if we do go there, we can rest our bodies before we resume traveling."

Sakido just stood there, staring at the sign, and I knew she was thinking as she continued to remain silent. Turning my gaze back to the ruined sign, I once more felt disgust for the idiots that had destroyed a sign meant for guidance. The only use that served was to possibly confuse those that didn't travel often, and in our case, it was proving to just be a hindrance.

When a soft sigh left Sakido's muzzle, I looked back at her and she said quietly, "I wish traveling wasn't so tedious, yet I know Buwaro is safe with Rhea and Kieri..." She turned her head and looked down at me, before she said a bit firmer, "I agree with going to Riverside, but I only want to stay for a week, and no longer."

I nodded my head, yet before I could even point in the direction of Riverside so that we could start flying again, I felt myself freeze as her lips planted against my own softly, yet firmly. She pulled away soon afterwards, but not before she sent a mental request to me that sent my face bursting with warmth. When her eyes were looking into my own with a light sparkle, I swallowed nervously as I said verbally, "You needn't ask my lovely demoness..."

Her cheeks were slowly turning a dark shade of red as she smirked, before she asked, "Which way to Riverside my dear mate?" I felt myself smile as I pointed in the general direction, yet just as I did so, Sakido wrapped her arms around my body, and we were thrown up into the sky as she began to fly us due west.

**A.N.: I forgot what I used to put in these things... other than that, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It is shorter than I would've liked to give you all, but I hit a few snags, and then I even hit a bit of an inspirational crunch.**

**Zer0Dust: Eh, think you know who and what I wrote about? Well, I guess you will need to wait for the upcoming chapters.**

**Everyone else:**** I can't tell if you all were talking about chapter 1 or chapter 2, or if this story literally got this unpopular in my absence...**


	4. First Contact

**Chapter 4: First Contact**

**(Jonathon's P.O.V.)**

The Humvee growled as it ate small bushes and pieces of branches underneath its powerful tires. The path we were driving along was easily assessable by foot, yet by vehicle, it was proving to be a bit... hazardous. Somewhere a mile back a tree had fallen after we drove directly into it, and the low hanging branches had forced the private manning the gun back into the confines of interior so as to not get injured.

If any of the natives of this land were nearby, they would easily know where we are from the amount of cacophony coming from our trek. The loud growls to roars from the engine as it adjusted to the rough terrain were enough to cause my head to ache, then there was the ripping sounds as the tires abused any and all plants lining the path we were traversing. The few tree's that happened to get in our way lost bark depending on how close to the path they were, yet it wasn't the trees I was worried about; rather it was the durability of the Humvee. We had already lost the driver side mirror to a close brush with a tree.

"There! The trees are thinning out..."

Sanders hand was thrust between the front seats as he pointed ahead of our position, yet flanking the edge of the path was something I knew would cause a nice little speed bump to our vehicle. Reaching over and tapping the driver on the shoulder, he quickly eased off the gas. Looking away from the trees and at my driver, I asked uncertainty, "Will this Humvee be able to plow through that?"

He gave me an uneasy look as he said, "I know it can... but it won't be gentle for us inside this thing."

Letting out a breath, I nodded, before arching my neck to look at the back seat and ordered, "Buckle up tight, it's going to get rough real fast." Looking back forward, I pointed towards the end of the forested path and said, "Open up the path..."

**-Random Median Outside Forest-**

The loud and ominous growling I heard from coming from the forest had ceased, yet I felt an uneasy chill seep into my bones as now there was an almost ominous purr coming from within the breaks of the tree's. I didn't know what was making the noise, but as I stood to my feet, the growling noise came back, and I swore it sounded like Syndel himself cackling. _I knew I shouldn't have left home today!_

Just as I made my first step back, the growling turned into a tremendous roar! I stumbled as I yelled in fear, and a few moments later, I saw two trees explode outwards in a shower of splinters, and I saw something in the cloud of splinters roaring away from the forest. Getting up, I turned around and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. _It's a Monster!_

**-Moments Prior-**

**(Jonathon's P.O.V.)**

Holding my rifle and the latch on the door for dear life as we raced towards the trees, I felt my heart thudding against my chest as I anticipated the jolt soon to come. The Humvee shook below my feet as it hit a small bump, before a loud crack signified the Humvee impacted the rough bark of the tree. I felt myself lurch forward a bit when we collided with the second tree soon afterwards, but the metal and inertia of the light assault vehicle proved to be too much for the pair of trees as the Humvee flew out of the forest with a shower of splinters and foliage.

After the less than gentle landing- as the impact with the tree must've thrown us up into the air by a foot or so- the driver let off the gas until we were leisurely driving, before he brought it to a halt amidst a field of dandelions and grass... and a few splinters visible here and there.

"Is everyone alright?"

I heard a groan from the backseat, and I looked behind me as best as I could and saw Sanders rubbing a red welt on his forehead from where I presumed he hit his head. The gunner looked over at him and said, "Hit his head on your seat sir."

Sanders winced a bit, before he asked quietly, "Please... not so loud..."

Shaking my head with a grin, I looked back at the driver and said, "Alright, seems there are no major injuries... take us over that hill."

As the man started to drive, the radio crackled, before a voice filtered into it, _"Sir, the general sent a message over. He is granting us full permission to leave our location and search for Mr. Elexion for the next three weeks... something about the portal linking our worlds collapsing around the end of that time frame."_

Reaching over, I grabbed the radio's attachment and spoke into the mic, "Roger that... break down camp and proceed along the route we discussed prior to departure."

_"Affirmative sir, will proceed along route previously discussed, over and out."_

The radio crackled, before the link was cut, and I replaced the receiver before leaning back in my seat and letting out a sigh. _Eric buddy... seems we can really search for you and see if you are still alive..._

**...**

**(Eric's P.O.V.)**

Grabbing the area where Sakido's wings merged with her fur, I firmly squeezed the location until I felt pleasure flare across our physical link, and I shivered pleasantly when Sakido eased my lips apart with her own as we kissed. I felt her groan as my hands spread her feathers apart on her wings, and her arms pulled me against her even more as we both relished in the feeling of pleasure. Her clawed fingers gently ran through the fur on my back, yet I could feel it on my skin as she slowly ran her fingers sideways as her fingers went further down.

I cracked open an eye just as her fingers reached and slipped under the waist band of my jeans, yet her eyes remained closed as I sent a teasing thought over to her, before she softly growled back at me. I felt her lips curl into a smirk as she continued to kiss me while her hands began to slide towards where the front of it resided, and she sent back to me, _"If you refuse to help me, I will simply shred them..."_

Her reply was enough for me to chuckle, before I pulled away from her muzzle and said, "That would be unfair then, since you aren't helping me with your cloak..." Her smile widened, before her hands slid off my back and I saw her blue eyes peak out from under her eyelids slowly, before she reached to the front of her dress and gave me a wink.

I felt my cheeks flush in warmth as her eyes remained locked with my own, but I knew what she was doing as she continued to stare up into my own eyes. _"When I was in hell, I never felt alive... now I always feel like I'm an angel with you in my arms."_

_I don't think I ever felt so alive myself my beautiful demoness... unless if you wish for me to call you my beautiful angel..._

Her giggle was sweet and melodious, and she ceased her movements with her hands to instead reach up and grab the lower part of my muzzle and the back of my neck before pulling me into a kiss. My mind went blank partially from the kiss, and from the force of her thoughts overwhelming my own, _"No... I love being your demoness..._"

When she finished saying that, I could only smile some more as I quickly deepened the kiss for the one I love...

_ Never more alive..._

**...**

**(Jonathon's P.O.V.)**

"Uh... sir?"

Swallowing thickly as I continued to stare out of the window, I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing. The village was understandable, as we _had_ been following a path obviously made by someone or something intelligent enough to construct a simple path. No... it was what I saw standing between the villages buildings that left me speechless.

Humans were standing there, yet from what I could see from the distance, were obviously not the humans from our end of the portal. The clothes seemed to be made from natural material, and clutched in their hands were poorly constructed tools. A flimsy metal axe was held in one man's hands, and what looked like a pick-axe was in another man's hands. Then there was the architecture. I have seen villages in third-world countries such as South America and Africa where the civilizations have less to make do with, and are better equipped to survive than even men from top militaries.

"Orders sir?"

Slowly coming back from the stupor I was in, I didn't bother looking at the others as I stepped from the Humvee, before calling into the Humvee, "Sanders, Private Jenkins, you're both with me... I'm going to break our previous protocol to learn more of these... fellow humans. Perhaps they even have a map of the land in a store or something if they even have that..."

Before we began to even depart, the driver, a Corporal if I wasn't wrong, asked, "What of me sir?"

"Man the gun and be on the lookout for anything dangerous. If you don't believe you can handle it, bring the Humvee in so that we can fight in numbers." _Though I doubt there is anything of danger out there aside from those large... wolf print creatures..._

Blinking a bit, I closed the door, before making my way towards the village in the most relaxed posture I could, and I didn't need to look over my shoulder to see the nervous soldier or the excited scientist to know what they were feeling.

_Relax Johnny boy... think of this as another reconnaissance mission through a village of non-threatening villagers. Get in, get some information, get out. Quick, clean, and safe..._

Letting out a breath to calm myself, I heard instead a rifle strap clinking against a rifle, and I knew I wasn't the only one feeling tense. Turning my head to the side as we continued to walk towards the village, I spoke softly so that there was no chance of my voice carrying too far, "Easy Jenkins... as long as we remain calm, they will remain calm. Sanders... try not to spook any of them..."

The closer we got to the village, the more and more I saw the unwary expressions over all their faces growing, and I even saw resentment in one of the gazes, though the figure soon disappeared behind the amassing crowd.

Once we were ten feet from anxious crowd of villagers, I looked at all the faces, and crude weapons they were holding. I had to swallow as I looked them over, before I called out in as steady a voice as I could muster, "Who is in charge here?"

I wasn't so much worried that they appeared to be wary –borderline hostile- as much as I was worried that this would end up being a terrible first contact scenario. It was also possible that they couldn't understand anything I had just said, as since this was another world, it would be expected that they wouldn't understand English, Russian, or any other known language. So as they muttered incoherently to each other, I leaned over to my two men and asked silently, "In the off chance that they do understand English, did we bring anything of value or interest that we can give to them if they don't want to take information?"

"On my last deployment my CO exchanged MRE's... and the villagers there loved the stuff."

Glancing back at Jenkins, I looked at him for a moment, before I said, "That's actually a good idea, especially if the only food these people get is from farms..."

Turning back towards the crowd as I heard an argument break out, I was surprised to hear a few words get thrown loudly in the other man's face, but English words... with rather harsh meanings. I hid my surprise and unease as the two men started to argue about something about us being dangerous foreigners, yet when one of them glanced over at us, his tone quickly lowered back to an incoherent volume.

After a few brief moments of silence, one of the men looked away from the other, before the other one looked towards our small group and said with hostile intent in his tone, "You and yer men aren't welcome here. I suggest you leave before we make you..."

I felt my eyes narrow as I eyed the man, taking in everything I could about him in a few brief seconds as I spoke firmly, yet kindly to not upset him further, "I beg of you to reconsider. We are searching for one of our lo-"

"_YER KIND AIN'T WELCOME!"_

As soon as his shout ended, his face was beet red, and spittle was hanging from his lips as he pointed the crude axe in his hands at me. My heart was pounding firmly against my chest as I leaned forward with my rifle off center from his body, my muscles tensed and almost eager for the familiar feeling of a rifle kicking against my shoulder.

Keeping my main focus solely on the man less than ten feet from my position, I kept myself at the ready as I issued an order, "Jenkins, radio in our ride."

I heard the click of a rifle being placed on safety, before I heard the sound of rustling, and soon afterwards the sound of a radio being used. The man with the axe slowly lowered it, yet he continued to glower at me as his gaze shifted from my own, to where the Humvee lay, before coming back to my own.

The roar of the Humvee starting up in the clearing caught the man's gaze once more, before he pointed his axe at me and growled out, "Iffen you think we will back down to yer metal contraption, you be sorely mistaken..."

Clicking my rifle to single fire, I kept my gaze on him as I said, "We will leave as soon as our... contraption extracts us, then you will be free to going back to whatever you do..."

...

The entire ride back had been one of silence, and it wasn't because of lack of conversation, rather it was one of weariness. The Humvee had gotten stuck between two trees on our way back into the forest, and it had taken an hour of work for us to free the vehicle. That combined with the unsuccessful first contact had left Sanders disappointed, and myself irritated; I didn't care enough to know the thoughts of the other two soldiers in the vehicle.

The gentle bumps the Humvee was currently going over as we approached the location where we were supposed to meet up with the rest of our platoon of explorers and rescuers were soothing enough to where I didn't feel the need to grimance. However, despite all that, I couldn't stop thinking about how the locals reacted. It was as if they had dealt with people who had equipment like ours…and it wasn't on friendly terms. Considering what we had seen so far, that meant that either there are natives here who have equipment like ours and is using it to either attack, or oppress other natives who aren't at their level of technology…or those people had encountered some of the rebels that were pulled into this world…

"Dammit!" I snapped when a sudden bump in the road made me hit against the roof, further adding to my annoyance and stress at the realization that our mission may have just gotten harder. It was bad enough that we're here without much backup other than our small team and a portal for us to literally communicate via messages in bottles in this foreign world, so the fact that someone had more or less given a message to the locals in the area that people with equipment like ours were not to be trusted, just made this already difficult mission even harder. Furthermore, with the implication that most, if not all, of the rebels had been pulled through, the odds of Eric being alive just became all that much smaller, cause even if Eric was one of our best, the fact remained that he would likely have been both outnumbered AND outgunned, and I could only hope that Eric hadn't encountered the rebels, and if he did, that he had been able to escape them. Even so, the reactions he got from the natives would mean that they would likely have been no help to Eric, maybe even trying to kill him in retaliation for something he didn't do. In short, worst case scenario, Eric would have been alone and surrounded by hostiles on all sides... No. I couldn't afford to think like that. I know Eric, and if there's one thing he is, it's a survivor. And until I find any hard evidence that suggests otherwise, I can only keep on believing that he survived.

...

It wasn't long before we arrived back in camp. Letting out a tired sigh, I prepared myself to give the bad news.

"How went the expedition, sir?" One of the soldiers asked whilst saluting, to which I returned to salute and told him to gather everyone.

Once everyone was gathered, I cleared my throat and began relaying the details, starting from what we found, till the locals' reaction upon seeing us. To say that they were displeased was an understatement. If anything, a lot of them probably thought that the mission had just become a lot harder than it already was, not to mention a few of them looked pissed at the idea that it was all thanks to the Rebels. They'd probably want to express their displeasure personally to the Rebels when we find them, and I think I'd be hard pressed to stop them from giving the Rebels a piece of their minds.

With that taken care of, I quickly went to writing an update of the mission, before sending it through the portal (we still couldn't establish radio contact). It wasn't long before General Hansen sent his next orders: We were to keep our contact with the locals as minimal as possible to avoid potential complications, though if need be, we WERE allowed to make contact at our own digression. Furthermore, due to the possibility of their being Rebels on this world, and the fact that they likely had a two month head start over us, we were allowed to use lethal force in subduing the Rebels.

Our orders received, we immediately began making preparations for the next expedition into this world. We were on a strict time limit and we couldn't afford to waste even a second. Not if we wanted to achieve our objective in time. _Eric… I don't know where you are, or even if you're still with us, but until I find proof that says otherwise, or we run out of time and are called back, I refuse to even think that you didn't survive so hang in there, buddy._

**A.N.: Im currently undergoing personal life drama, so expect updates to be sporadic or not at all until after the end of this month. If worse comes to worse, I will try to inform you all if I will be available to even write at all after the end of this month...**


End file.
